Sigiriya is also known as ''The Lion Rock”. It is amazing to see how our great Sinhalese made this monument a living reality. No wonder it became the 8th world wonder.

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_{This is the view of Sigiriya in the morning from the hotel... waking up to this view was such a great feeling!}

Sigiriya is one of the most tourist visited historical sites in Sri Lanka and also named as UNESCO world heritage site in 1982. Sri Lanka’s historical triangle Kandy, Anuradhapura and Polonnaruwa, Sigiriya is located right in the middle of those ancient towns. It is one of the best example to prove how advanced is ancient urban planning and irrigation. The unbelievbly advanced Hydraulic systems used in Sigiriya still supply water to the site's garden, leaving me in surprise.

Sigiriya is known as the royal residence of king Kasyapa who ruled from 477 to 495 CE. Prior to King Kasyapa, Sigiriya was used as a Buddhist monastery. After King Kasyapa's death it has been used as a Buddhist monastery again

He rebelled against his own father king Dhatusena as King Kasyapa has no right to the throne. The King's life was full of controversy. Eventually, the king killed his father for the throne. The king chose Sigiriya as his royal residence because he was worried of potential attacks from his own brother Moggallana, as he was the rightful heir to the throne. He chose Siigiriya because he knew from the top of Sigiriya he had an unobstructed view of the surrounding.

The kingdom was ruled by King Kasyapa for 18 years before his brother seized back his power. The king built a gateway in the form of a Lion carving in the rock giving entrance with a stairway and the rock named as Lion’s rock.

The ‘’Mirror wall’’ which is a highly polished wall, the king has built to see the reflection as he walks by. After this long years the mirror wall is partly visible and the tourists are not allowed to touch the wall or take photos. Sigiriya is mostly famous for the painted frescoes. The paintings are also still partly visible. It’s how old Sinhalese depicts the palace maidens carrying flowers to the temple. The paintings are done using natural colors and can't believe it lasts this many years.

Enjoy climbing 1,200 steps to witness the stunning view from the top. Sigiriya is 200 meters high. On the way to the top, some places are scary steep. It's too windy when climbing to the top I almost started shivering when lokking at the bottom. But I didn’t give up! The stairway made the climb super easy, It's not too hard unless you are scared of heights. It's totaly up to yourself to think if you can reach the top or not. Everyone climbing the rock is very helpful and it's never gets too crowded in the stairway. Take your own time to enjoy and explore the entire fortress. The scenic views from the top is quite amazing and very relaxing with the wind. There are many ruins to see on top of Sigiriya.

_{Captured a baby monkey while walking through the pleasure gardens}

No worries if you cannot make it to the top, Sigiriya is worth visiting for its pleasure gardens and the view from the ground. Lion’s gate is a great place to relax if you are feeling tired. But always keep in mind to not to make much noise. Once you reach the lion’s gate you will see many Hornets’ nests at the top of the rock. There are wasps that attack at times and can be dangerous if provoked. As long as you try to keep your volume down there won’t be any trouble.

I suggest to climb the rock early in the morning. It is the best time to avoid the hot sun. Remember to wear comfortable clothes and shoes. Do not forget to take your shades and hat even its gloomy. A water bottle in hand is a must! You will not find water if you feel thirsty when climbing to the top. Also keep in mind if you get caught making noise, stand still and be calm as possible. Wasps are not easy to get rid of.

“Never let your memories be greater than your dreams”
― Dougles Invester

Plan now to explore the beauty of Sigiriya, try to spend much time as possible. Do not visit just to climb the rock, take your time to experience the beauty of the entire fortress. The view from the top is breathtaking, When you reach the top you can relax and watch the scenic landscapes. It takes very less time to reach the exit than climbing to the top of Sigiriya. And also don’t forget to visit the museum! We visited the museum after climbing the rock.

Sigiriya is one of the most famous tourist attraction destinations in Sri Lanka. It is a ''must see!'' if you visit Sri Lanka. The climb is not hard as it seems, We really enjoyed climbing up the Lions Rock and learning about our great history.